Right now at NEVS: Delivery of the first cars to customers

At 09:45 RikardH and Rune from SaabsUnited met with representatives of NEVS to document the delivery of the first cars to customers, these are the first images to make it out on the net from that event! The location of this delivery is the old design center of SAAB so this is one of those rare moments when we get a better glimpse into what one of the most secret facilities at Saab looked like. Sure most of the stuff has been removed but even so, that building holds a substantial amount of Saabs history.

8 responses to Right now at NEVS: Delivery of the first cars to customers

The plot thickens: Who did get the very first customer Saab 9-3? According to swedish tabloid Expressen it was Lennart Fahlgren from Lidköping 50 km from Trollhättan got his car last friday. According to the conversation I had with Johnny Schmidt who has been in the Saab business as the owner of Järna Bil outside Stockholm, he has written documents that he is getting #1 and #3. I do not know if Johnny has been in Trollhättan today. Unfortunately I could not make it down to Trollhättan today as planned.

The buyer of #1 and #3 was not even informed by SaabCars to attend todays VIP delivery happening in Trollhättan. I will make a SU feature of this remarkable buyer and his extensive collection of Saabs over his 45 year carrer as a Saab salesman. His garage hides a number of truly fantastic Saabs. Saabs future is based on the legacy that goes back to the 1930 ies.

Couldn’t agree more. There’s a lot to be said for the future’s connection to the past. You learn from history—-you build on the historic success stories and you avoid making repeated historic mistakes. NEVS has shown some signs of understanding Saab’s legacy. If Tim is right about the people of NEVS, I believe they will use their understanding of Saab’s past as they move toward the future. I’m by no means a fan of any fast march toward electric, obvious, because from the very beginning, I’ve maintained that if NEVS ceases development of ICE cars, they will fail. I don’t even like the “E” in their name. That said—-even an electric vehicle can still be an electric Saab. If NEVS respects what Saab has been (and I have no reason to believe NEVS doesn’t respect Saab’s past) then NEVS will make an electric car that is an electric Saab. That’s a good thing.

SaabCars needs to get started with building on the legacy that is one of the cornerstones in the value of a brand. They should hire someone to work with legacy questions, corporate storytelling and what meta values that builds a brand. Historic achievements in design, technology-shifts, rally&racing, world records can not be stopped. Constant evolution is a must and it has been said before and I say it again it is the “heart” and feeling stuff that sells cars not the machines without emotions.

I feel a bit nostalgic when I see the pictures, I was working in these facilities for 31 years, and had hoped that Nevs would open the design studio again, but now use the facilities for delivery of new cars. The new design facilities are also good, close to the engineers.